Kenya elected to lead the war against illegal arms trade in the Horn of Africa
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Kenya handed the lead role in fighting small arms and light weapons within the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa
Kenya handed the lead role in fighting small arms and light weapons within the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa.
To support the fight against the trade of illegal small arms and light weapons in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes area, Kenya has been handed the chairmanship of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA).
The position would support Kenya’s resolve to control the illicit arms trade and promote lasting peace and security in the region, according to Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo, who represented Kenya at the 10th Council of Ministers (CoM) session in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
PS Omollo added that Kenya will be committed to ending the illegal trade and would cooperate with relevant parties.
“Kenya pledges unconditional support and commitment to this cause, and I am certain that the role that the member states have assigned us today will make us even more aggressive against this menace,” he said as quoted in a statement from the Interior Ministry on Sunday.
“We will strive to be a true partner, who will not only lead by example but also foster an environment of collaboration, growth, and collective success.”
Omollo further stated that to address the root causes of armed violence, Kenya intends to leverage the power of sharing resources and expertise to step up disarmament operations and implement innovative security solutions.
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“We believe that in a holistic approach, encompassing disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration efforts, as well as robust community-based initiatives,” he said.
“We intend to enhance coordination, regional organizations, and international partners to bolster our collective efforts to improve information-sharing and detect, prevent, and respond to the illicit trade.”
Kenya’s election to the position was unanimously endorsed by representatives from RESCA’s 15 member states.
Kenya has been deputizing DR Congo as the chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM), the supreme organ that provides RECSA with the necessary policy guidance.
The Council is comprised of Ministers responsible for Internal Security in the member states.
Among Kenya’s first assignments is to push for the elevation of RECSA’s influence on the continental scale in peace and security initiatives.
The member states also want Kenya to officially submit a request to the AU General Assembly to consider designating the organization as an AU-specialized agency on matters of small arms and light weapons.
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